Major Fundraiser Event To Benefit Logandale Trails Stewardship

Local off-road enthusiasts are encouraged to enter their OHV rigs in the first annual “Beauty and the Beast” contest on March 25. Proceeds to fund PIC’s ongoing stewardship at the Logandale Trails area.

Partners In Conservation (PIC) is holding a “Beauty and Beast” First Annual Fundraiser for Logandale Trails on Saturday, March 25 at the Clark County Fairgrounds. The event will center around participants’ favorite OHV vehicles being judged as either beauties or beasts. Registration starts at 8 am and runs until 10 am.

Judges will review each entry. At noon the Awards Ceremony will commence, with a raffle drawing immediately afterwards.
Winners will be awarded trophies in the coveted categories “Beauty of the Year” and “Beast of the Year.” Each winner will also receive a one-of-a-kind flag featuring their rig. They will also receive lunch for four at a local restaurant as a prize.

A People’s Choice contest will also be held. Admission to the event will be free. So locals can check out all the rigs, buy voting tickets (3/$1) and vote for your favorite! This award also includes a unique trophy, flag, and lunch.
“You can enter your own rig, get your family and friends to vote for you, and win the “People’s Choice, Logandale Trails 2017!” said PIC Administrator Elise McAllister.

The day will end with a clean-up of Logandale Trails from 1-4 pm; PIC will be at the dumpsters, with refreshments. Prizes will be given for ‘most trash collected’, ‘weirdest trash found’ and other fun awards.

The primary purpose for this event is to raise funds to take care of the trails system. This fall a 3-year grant funding from Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) will end. That money was granted to ‘jump-start’ a maintenance and local management of the popular trails system. This included funding for cleaning restrooms, providing dumpsters, holding volunteer programs, and promoting responsible use, among other things.

With that initial source of money at an end, PIC is looking for variety of ways to bring in more money for basic maintenance, said McAllister.

A quarterly schedule of pumping the toilets costs thousands of dollars a year, McAllister explained. With new restrooms being constructed soon, it is anticipated that the main trailhead facilities will need to be serviced bi-monthly.

Other maintenance items which have been administered by PIC can also be costly. McAllister said that trash bags and cleanups cost her group about $1,000 a year. Dumpster service is well over $1,000 per quarter.
“Of course, some will say that this is the BLM’s job,” McAllister said. “We are working with them for additional funding, but the fact is their budgets are being cut and we have no control over how money is appropriated. Visitor use at Logandale Trails is around 200,000 people a year. People love it. That visitation benefits businesses in our community and locals love to use the area.”

PIC is also currently working with Clark County and the BLM to write a grant to pave the main route into the trails system to manage a dust issue that has become a problem to neighbors in the area. But even grants like that often require matching funds. So that leads back to the need for fundraising events like the one planned for Mar. 25.
“We want to have a fun event, where people can enjoy the day and win prizes,” McAllister said. “When we ask for support and monetary support in particular, PIC wants to make sure we give back to those that are so generous and supportive of our efforts.”

PIC is offering free vendor space to a limited number of local (or Logandale Trails related) booths. For information about this, contact Elise at 702-219-2033 or picorg@mvdsl.com to reserve a booth space.
“This is an excellent opportunity for local organizations to have a free space to inform the public about their services,” McAllister said.